Leer for annealing glass



(No Model.)

J. K. OUMMINGS.. LEEE FOR ANNEALING GLASS.

. No. 412,073. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.-

7 M 2 an. 5 1J5 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN K. CUMMINGS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LEER FOR ANNEALIN'G GLASS.

. srncrmca'rxon forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,073, datedOctober 1, 1889.

Application filed June 22, mas.

t of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to devices for the gradual and equal annealing ofglass during the cooling process; and the invention consists in featuresof novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a longitudinal side View of the leer, part in verticalsection taken on line I I, Fig. II, and shows the tubularcooling-rollers between which the glass passes in the process ofcooling, the furnace for adjusting the heat of the leer, the sprocketdrive-wheel, and endless drive-chain that runs the sprocketwheels on theterminal of the tubular rollers to effect the passage of the glassthrough the leer. Fig. II is avertical section taken online II H, Fig.I, and shows the furnace, the fiues that carry the hot air from thefurnace to the leer, both above and below, and the dampers that regulatethe passage of the hot air through said flucs. Fig. III is a verticalsection taken on line III III, Fig. I, between the pairs of adjacentrolls. Fig. IV is a vertical section taken on line IVIV, Fig. I, andshows the tubular rolls and their bearings, the sprockets-wheels thatoperate said tubular rolls, and'the ports through the side walls of theleer, mix. which said rolls are passed to their stations; and Fig. IValso shows in broken lines the brick arch and floor, which may be usedin lieu of the iron or tile in the roof and floor. Fig. V is a verticalsection of the corresponding rolls, and shows thebevel-edgedcollar-disks on the ends of the lower -roll,

within which the periphery of the upper roll is guided. It also showsthe covering or cushion-sleeve around the rolls, said sleeve made ofasbestos or other incombustible material, and the tubular openingthrough said rolls through which the air passes to cool the same.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar figures of referenceindicate like parts in all the views, 1 represents the side walls of theleer, which may be of brick or any other suitable material; and 2 is itsroof, which may he of iron ortile, secured to the ribs 3 by screw-Berial No. 277,908. (No model.)

bolts 4, or of brick and arched, as shown in broken lines, Fig. IV.

5 is the floor of the leer, which may be of iron, tile, or brick, thelatter shown in broken and full lines'in Fig. IV.-

6 represents the fire-box; 7, its side walls; 8, the bridge-wall; 9,thearch; 10, the grates, and 11 the ash-pit.

12 are the lines from the fire-box, that carry the hot air from saidfire-box to the upper rick dampers in said fiues to regulate the hotdraft.

14 are the flues from the fire-box to the lower compartment of the leer.

15 are the sliding dampers by which the hot draft in said lines isregulated, and 16 are the handles that operate said dampers.

compartment of the leer, and 13 are the fire-' 17 represents themetallic casing of the walls of the leer, which is securedthereto in anysuitable manner.

18 are circular 'ports in the side walls for the insertion of thetube-r0lls 19, and 20 are vertical slots beneath said ports, in whichthe journal-tubes 21 of the rolls rotate.

The lower journal-tubes 'run on steel bearings 22, and the periphery ofthe upper rolls runs on that of the lower, glass-plate arc is runningthrough,when they are supported by the plate, 800., that they arepassing through. Collardisks 23 project from around lower rolls, and thebeveled edges 24 on the inside of said collars serve as guides to keepthe upper'rolls in longitudinal line with the lower ones. Sleeves 25, ofasbestus or other incombustible material, form coats around the rollersthat provide cushion-surfaces for the carriage of the glass. Projectingcollars 26 are mounted around the terminals of' the journal-tubes of therolls, and as said except when the the periphery at the ends of thecollars rotate outside the metal casing-plate 17 they keep the rolls inposition. These collars maybe placed on the terminals of the journal-tubes of both series of rolls, as shown and above described, orthey may be omitted from the upper roll-journals, as the bevel-'corresponding pair of tubular rollers, have their ends secured in theside walls of the The top flanges of said T-bars are.

drive-chain 28, which is operated by the drive sprocket-wheel 29,engages.

The rotary shaft 30 of the drive sprocketwheel is run by a suitabledrive-pulley connecting with any steam, water, or other power with whichit-is desired to operate it.

Transverse T-bars 31, located between each tion by the shutters 32, to'prevent the introduction of adverse drafts within the leer,

which would have the effect of atoo rapid and irregular cooling of'the 1glass while passing through the annealing :process. 33 representventilating flues, and 34 dampers within said fines for regulating thetemperature in different locations within the; .leer.

35 represents vertically sliding gates or doors at the entrance and exitof the leer,

and 36 are the gateways in which they slide. It will be seen thatby-giving said gates a, .vertical instead of swinging movementtheelevation of the same can-be readily adjusted, so as toprovide anopening alone suflicient for the convenient passage of the plate-glass,and-thus the adverse exposure of the leer to the intrusion of cold airthrough, widelyopened'doorways at the ends is avoided.

In operation a-fire is started in the'fire-box or furnace and dampers in'both the upper and lower fines-are regulated to-provide the requiredtemperature within the leerto effect the gradual, equal, and systematiccooling of the glass during the annealing process. The driven rollsarethenset in motion by the connection of the power with the drive wheeland chain, the gates elevated to sufficiently open the apertures beneaththem for the introduction and exit of theglass plate, which is in acondition ready for annealing. The plate or sheet glass is thenintroduced between the firstp'air of rolls, which as they rotate niphold of the same, for the drive-chain, which has passed in engagementwith the surmounting sprocket-teeth of the wheels of the upper tier,passes back and engages with the sprocket-teeth above the wheels of thesecond tier, and the chain travels in the direction to nipin theplate-glass that the rolls clutch and forward it between the two tiersofrolls from its reception at the initial end to the exit of the leer,where it is taken and disposed of by any suitable means. The transverseT-bars between each succeding pair of rolls, which are provided withslightly crowning top flanges, supportand prevent the tipping of theglass on its passage from one pair of rolls to the next succeeding pair.

" 7 By the means hereby provided and above desc ibed the' glass isautom'atically carried by the rolls through an atmosphere in the leeradjusted by the damper-fines from the fire-box and by theventilator-fines to a given and gradually-receding temperature from theentrance of said leer to its exit.

One of the great difficulties experienced inthe annealing or cooling ofboth plate-glass and blown or cylinder glass has been the uneven coolingof the glass. The uneven an-- healing and cooling, and consequent uneventension of its crystal adhesion where the contraction from the coolingprocess on one part.

of the plate precedes that-of others, confuses its crystal reformation,which is thus irregularly developed, so that the cohesion of itscrystalsoratomsis i-mperfect,'and the result is the production ofbrittle .plates or-sheets-of glass in which there is,-so to speak, alatent reactionary element that tends, 'to disunion ordisintegrat'ion,especially under sudden changes of temperature, when the cohesionor-c'rystal tension is still further reduced or loosened; for-if, forinstance, the cooling of a the outskirts of 'the plate precedesthato'f'the center, or of 'thecenter that of the outskirts, there is acontraction, and settlement relatively-ofsaid ,parts-at variance withthat of other parts under expansion. Meantime when, eventually, thelaggard ms contract,

the crystals or atoms dfthe 'firstcooledipa-rts are, 'as stated, atvariance therewith,.and fragile-plates or sheets-of glass result. Itwill be seen, also, that the asbestus or other incombustible materialthat covers the tubular rolls make {a cushiomsleeve for the same with atriplet of advantages that even sleeveless roll-coolers would not have,(although the tubular cooling-rolleisas introduced in this applicationare believed to be themselves -new-,) viz: First, thecu'shionsleeve hasa nearer perfect embrace of the plate-glass than'the iron surface wouldpro -vide, and in consequence takes up-its latent heat more equally,resulting ina-more even crystal reformation during the contraction inthe cooling process; second, the cushionsleeve, unlike the metal, couldnot inany way injure the glaze surface of the ,plates; third, while theclutch-hold of the cushionsleeves onthe plates they carry-through theleer is more tender than would be that of the metal, (or is thefrictional contact-of stone slabs when they are used,) yet is its holdmore sure than the metal, aud'with a'more even Persistence'and lessvibration the cashioned roll quietly does its work. While. to effect theequalization of the cooling process a steady movement of the material onits passage through said cooling process is required, and is animpdrtant feature of my tubular rolls, it will also be seen that by theaid of the slightly-crowning carrier T-bars between the rolls and thecushioning of said rolls all vibration is avoided, as vibration duringthe v annealing and cooling process tends to pro- 7 ducea frangiblecrystal reformation. .It will 7 also be seen that, unlike the non-rotarycoolers, these tubular cushioned rolls pass in regular succession aboveand below the plates,

presenting fresh surfaces of the cooling-rolls continuously underroll-pressureand inter mittently'airing the plates while relieved frompressure between their recurring pas- .sages between the rolls.

' nals, provide a ready passage for the trans- 'Thetubular rolls, withtheir tubular jourmission of air-through the rolls and continuouscoolingbfi the same; The utiliz'ationbf" the atmosphere, which isarmoving body, in

5 Y cooling the plates is a material advantage.

keepingdown the temperature of the rolls for The transverse T-bars thatsupport the plates between the rolls also facilitate their steadytransmission through the leer.

4 with their intervening T-bars. .This invention is also especially welladapt Sometimes it is found advisable to cool the leer; especiallytoward the conclusion of the process. To enable the operator to do so,the ventilators 33, with dampers 34, are provided.

The leer can bema'de of any length desired,

with the relative increase or diminution of the number of rolls andintervening If-bar's, and the speed of the rolls regulated to conform tothe time it is desired to keep the plates under the influence of theprocess.

If it should be preferred, the exit end of the leer. may be providedwith only the lower tier of rollers, (those that carry the plates,)

- at the hot or initial end of the leer directly from the usualflattening oven or table,which is built contiguous to the entrance ofthe leer in the case of blown or cylinder window-glass;

and in the case, of rolled plate-glass it is received at said end of theleer direct from the usual table on which it is rolled; also, in boththese cases the glass being at ared heat when i received into-said leer.Thisleer will also serve for annealing glass roofing-tiles or any objectthat can be passed through said rolls.

The rolls may also be madepf shapeto conform to irregularities ofform-*such as ribs,

the object that is required to pass through between them.

The ashestus or other covering of the rolls may be attached by paintingor plastering it on, which secures it to the roll, or it may be rolledon in sheets or by the dressing of said rolls with tubular sleeves ofthe material, and in the two latter cases the material. may be securedthereto by any suitable means.

I claim as my iuventionr, 1. In a glass-annealing leer, the combine.

tion of the annealing-chamber with the structure that incloses it, themetal casing. to said structure, the side walls of said structure andu7ocasing provided with circular portsand vertical slots from said v ports,the upper and lower series of rolls with journals arranged to enterthrough said open ports, and the jour-e nals stationed in said verticalslots, the colkeeps the rolls in juxtaposition in non-contact with theside walls of the leer-chamber,

lars on the terminals of said journals that the sprocket-wheels on saidjournals, and the drive chain and drive sprocket wheelby whiohthey are,drivenarranged to carry the glass between the two series of rollsthrough the leer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. K v

'2. In a glass-annealing leer, the combine.-

tionof the structure that incloses the anneal- 'ing and cooling chamber,the rolls between which the glass passes having journals mounted .insaid structure, and the transverse T-bars that support the glass betweenthe rolls,substantially as and for the purpose set forth 3. In aglass-annealing leer, the combination of the structure inclosing theannealing and cooling chamber, two parallel series of rolls, and the twoseriesof softcnshion sleevebeds of non-combustible material betweenwhich the glass -1ies and is carried, the firebox at one end of the leerprovided with upper and lower fines transmitting heat from said fire-boxto said annealing and cooling 7 chamber, andtheadjustable dampers insaid fines, substantially as and for the purposes set] forth. T. I

4. Ina glass-annealing leer, the combination of the two series of rollshaving journals sleeves of incombustible material around each ofsaidrolls, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. t

imounted in said structure, and the cnshion-.;

5. In a glassannealing leer; the combination of vthe cooling-rollshaving journals arranged one above the other, bearings supporting thejournals-of the lower rolls, and the beveled flanges 24 on the ends ofthe lower rolls, said upper rollsresting upon the lower rolls,substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

6. In a glass-annealing leer, the combination of the structure with itsmetal casing that incloses the annealing and cooling chamber, theVertically-sliding doors at each end of said chamber, the rolls, thesaid structure and easing provided with ports and verti'calslots throughwhich to insert and in which to station the tubular rolls, and theshutters inclosing said ports after the insertion of the rolls,substantially as and for the purpose-set forth. Y

JOHN K. cum/rises. .In presence of- I d V BENJN. A. KNIGHT,

SAML. Kinen'r.

